Easy Cheerleading Stunts

The dazzling, spiraling in the air stunts seen on sports television might be exciting to watch, but easy cheerleading stunts are the best level of acrobatics for younger squads and beginning cheerleaders to attempt. Easier stunts are also a nice staple to have for games and warm ups. Small and medium size squads may not have enough people for the more complex stunts that need even more spotters than normal. In cases like this, easy cheerleading stunts are a good alternative.

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Best Easy Cheerleading Stunts

There are many different stunts out there, and squads are creative enough to come up with new stunts as well as put a twist on the tried and true stunts.

Shoulder Sit

Probably one of the easiest and most common stunts is the shoulder sit. This stunt requires three people: a base, spotter and flyer.

• The base lunges with her right leg to the side at a 90 degree angle.
• The flyer stands behind the base and places her right foot on the base's bent leg as near to the hip as possible and jumps up, swinging her left leg over the base's left shoulder. The right leg follows over right shoulder.
• As the flyer swings the right leg into place, the base should stand.
• A spotter stands behind the pair to catch the flyer if she loses her balance and falls.

L Stand

The L Stand is often seen at basketball games and performed during basketball cheers and chants. While it is an easy stunt, it is fairly impressive looking. When done synchronized by more than one pair, this stunt can appear more complicated than it is. The stunt requires three people.

• The spotter stands behind.
• The base lunges right leg at a 90 degree angle, just as for a shoulder sit.
• The flyer stands behind the base and places her right foot on the bent leg of the base near the hip.
• The flyer places her hands on the base's shoulders and swings the left leg out.
• The spotter then helps to place the flyer's left foot on the base's shoulder.
• At the same time, the flyer will stiffen the right leg, which the base will push up, helping the flyer to stand.

Thigh Stand

The thigh stand is a small stunt that almost resembles a pyramid, but is fairly safe and perfect for younger and beginner squads. The stunt requires three people, two bases and a flyer. A spotter is not usually required, but the coach should decide whether or not one is warranted. Especially with younger children, a base might be a good idea.

• Two bases stand side by side in a lunge. One base will lunge to the right and one to the left with the bent legs facing.
• The flyer places one foot on one base's thigh up near the hip. She then jumps into place putting the other foot on the other base's thigh and locking her legs into place.
• When the flyer gains her balance, she lifts her arms into a high V.

Pyramids

Although pyramids might not technically be considered a stunt, they can be as simple or complex as your squad wants. Pyramids can be made up of just a few people or a large number of cheerleaders. Similar to the thigh stand above, pyramids start with a base, and this should include the strongest people on the squad. The pyramid builds from there, typically ending with a single cheerleader on top. It only makes sense to put the lightest and smallest cheerleader on top, unless that person is terrified of heights or has other limitations. Start with a simple thigh stand, and then use your creativity to see what kind of pyramids you can come up with on your own.

More Information

For more information on cheerleading stunts and easy pyramids, you can visit the following websites:

• American Cheerleader Magazine: This site offers information on everything from cheer stunts to cheerleading camps.
• Cheerleading.net: This is an online spirit source for everything cheerleading. Several easier stunts listed and described in detail.
• Ms. Pineapple's Cheer Page: This is one of the most comprehensive cheerleading resources online. Many of the stunts listed above can be found on this site, along with more advanced cheer stunts. Pictures make it easy to understand the moves.

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